Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1887-09-03

you shall have 1t, but then we snail upSaddle
and go, and you can do your numbering
yourself. There, there, take your choice; we
shall be glad enough to get home, for we do
not like the job. If l go out shooting l like
to shoot buck or Kaffir, not white people"
Frank Muller reflected a moment, and then
he laughed a little. "You are funny people,
you home bred Boers." he said; "but perhaps
you are right. After all, what does it matter
who has the warrant, provided the thing is
well done2 Mind there is no bungling, that
is all"
"Yah YAH" said the fat faced man, "you
can trust us for that. 1t won't be the first
time that we have toppled over. If l have
my warrant | ask nothing better than to go
on shooting Engiishmen all night, one down,
the other come on. / know no prettier sight
than an Englishman toppling over"
"Stop that talk and saddle up, the cart is
waiting. You fools can never understand the
difference between killing when it is neces-
sary to kill and killing for Killings sake.
These people must die because they have be-
trayed the land"
"Yah. YAH" said the Viderbeeste, "be-
trayed the land we have heard that before.
Those who betray the land must manure it;
that is a good rule" and he laughed and
tassed on.
Frank Muller watched his retreating form
with a smile Of peculiar malignity on his
handsome face. "Ah, my friend" +" he said to
himself in Dutch, "you and that warrant will
part company before you are many hours
older. Why, it would be enough to hang me,
even in this happy land of patriots. Old -
would not forgive even me for taking that
little liberty with his name. Dear me, what
lot of trouble one has to take to be rid Of a
= N.I1
Bessie is well worth it; but if it had not been
for this war could never have managed it.
All! I did well to give my voice for war l
am sorry for the girl jess, but it must be;
there must be no living witness left. Ali We
are going to have storm. So much the bet
ter Such deeds are best done in storm"
Muller was right; the storm was coming
up fast, throwing vail Of inky cloud across
the star spangled sky. In South Africa there
is but little twilight and the darkness follows
hard upon the heels of the day. No sooner
had the great angry ball of the sun finally
disappeared than the night swept with all her
stars across the sky. And now after her came
the great storm, covering up her beauty with
his blackness. The air was stiflingly hot
Above was starry space; to the east the
angry bosom of the storm, in which the
lightnings were already playing with an in
cessant Pickering movement, and to the west
a deep red glow, reflected from the sunken
sun, yet fingered on the horizon.
On toiled the horses through the gatherin G
gloom. Fortunately the road was fairly
level and free from mudholes, and Frank
Muller rode just ahead to show the way, his
strong, manly form standing out clear against
the departing western glow.
1t was an awful night. Great pillars OF
mud colored sky came creeping across the
surface of the veldt toward them, seemingly
blown along without wind. And now, too,
CHASTITY looking ringed moon arose and
threw weird, distorted light upon the black
ness that seemed to shudder in her rays, as
though with a prescience of the advancing
terror On crept the mud colored columns,
and on above them, and resting on them,
came the muttering storm The cart was
quite close to the river now, and they could
plainly hear its murmur. To their left was a
koppie, covered with white, slablike stones,
on which the sickly moonbeams danced.
"Look, John, look!" cried jess, with a
hysterical laugh; sit looks like huge grave
yard and the dark shadows between are the
ghosts of the buried"
Nonsense" said John, sternly "what do
you mean by talking such rubbishs"
He felt that she was little off her balance,
and what is more, he was getting rather off
his own, and therefore was naturally the
angrier with her, and the more determined
to be perfectly matter of fact.
Jess made no answer, but she was frightened,
she could not tell why. The whole thing re-
sembled some awful DREAM or one of Dores
pictures come to life. No doubt, also, the
near presence of the storm exercised an effect
upon her nerves. Even the wearied horses
snorted and shook themselves uneasily.
They crept over the ridge of a wave of
land and the wheels rolled softly on the
grass.
"Why, we are off the road!" shouted John
to Muller, who was still guiding them, fifteen
or twenty PAGES ahead.
"All right all right it is a short cut to the
ford!" he called in answer, and his voice rang
strange and hollow through the great depths
of the silence.
Below them, hundred yards away, the
light, such as it was, CLEANED family upon
the wide surface of the river. Another five
minutes and they were on its shore, but in
the gathering gloom they could not make out
the opposite bank.
"Turn to the left" shouted Muller; "the
ford is few yards up. 1t is too deep here for
the horses"
JOul lcu dSSoluh6iyt IOliO"OsA
Muller's horse some 800 yards up the bank
till they came to spot where the water rar
with an angry music, and there was great
swirl of eddies.
"Here is the place." said Muller; "you must
make haste through. The house is just the
other side, and it will be better to get there
before the tempest breaks"
"It's all very well, said John, "but can't
see an inch before me; don't know where to
drive"
"Drive straight ahead; the water is not
more than three feet deep, and there are no
rocks"
II am not going, and that is all about it."
"You must go, Capt. Mel You cannot
stop here, and if you can we cannot. Loot
there, manw and he pointed to the east, which
now presented truly awful and magnificent
sight
Down, right on to them, its center bowel
out like the belly of sail by the weight of
the wind behind, swept the great storm cloud,
while over all its surface the lightning played
unceasingly appearing and disappearing il